BORO were dragged deeper into the relegation mire after crashing to a 3-0 defeat in a massive basement battle at West Brom.

The leaked an early opener then unravelled in 13 crazy minutes in the second half.

With skipper Emanuel Pogatetz out injured Stewart Downing was handed the armband while Gary O'Neil returned after two games out in place of Julio Arca who was ill and Mohamed Shawky joined him in midfield in place of injured Josh Walker.

Albion gave a debut to Marc-Antoine Fortune who arrived from Nancy yesterday and paired him up front with fellow loanee Jay Simpson from Arsenal.

Boro started with Downing again in 'the hole' behind Afonso Alves and with Tuncay out wide, this time on the left.

Boro got off to the worst possible start as they leaked the opener in the fourth minute.

There looked to be no danger as Hoefkens crossed in from the right and Tony Mcmahon climbed to meet it but his glancing header flew to the feet of former Boro man Chris Brunt.

He had been in an offside position but the header played him on and he drilled in a first time low effort that clipped the full-back and deflected in at the far post beyond the dive of Turnbull.

Boss Gareth Southgate was out quickly to complain about an apparent offside in the build-up but to no avail.

Boro could have levelled within two minutes as a Downing cross from the right was helped onto the bar by keeper Carson then scooped back into the middle by Chris Riggott for Alves who powered his six yard header off the bar before the loose ball was scrambled away.

West Brom threatened again on 12 minutes as a quick break sent Koren down the right and his teasing bounced past Riggott and Simpson only just failed to connect at the far post.

Boro were pinned back for a spell and were struggling to clear their lines with clearances landing at the feet of Albion players time after time and the ball coming straight back.

Albion threatened on 15 minutes as quick ball over the top sent Fortune streaking past David Wheater to chase the ball into the box but Ross Turnbull came sliding out to gather before the speedy striker could profit.

Boro almost broke through on 17 minutes as Downing sent a short ball to Tuncay who squeezed through a crowd of defenders to get into the box before being tackled by Robinson as he shaped to shoot.

Boro were findng it hard to impose and shape or tempo on the game and when the midfield did find time on the ball there was little movement up front to pick out. Tuncay and O'Neil on the flanks were being dragged into the centre leaving no outlet down the wings.

They went close on 23 minutes though as Wheater nodded on a Taylor free-kick for Alves to nip behind the last defender and send a shot sizzling just wide from ten yards out.

Riggott was left looking groggy after he suffered a blow to the head in a goalmouth scramble and after ref Mark Halsey checked he wasn't concussed he was allowed to continue.

The Baggies should have scored on 27 minutes as Simpson - who looked well offside - broke forward onto a Donk ball over the top and left the chasing defenders in his wake to get into the box but Turnbull was out quickly to dive bravely in at his feet to make a vital save.

On the half hour Brunt headed just wide for Albion after Koren again got down the right then soon after a corner was scrambled away as Boro continued to look vulnerable.

Boro reorganised and Downing went onto the left wing and Tuncay into the middle and there was almost an immediate impact as Downing dropped deep to collect a ball then weaved forward and slotted a neat ball for Alves to skip into the box but he was crowded out before he could unleash his shoot.

On 36 minutes Riggott had to go off with Robert Huth coming off the bench.

Albion threatened on 37 minutes as Fortune cut in from the right to drill in a low shot that Turnbull saved with an outstretched boot at the near post.

Then when the ball was hoofed clear it sent Alves tearing forward to check past Barnett and into the box but he rifled his shot straight at the keeper.

Barnett had been injured in his attempt to tackle the Brazilian and had to go off with Pele coming on to replace him.

Boro had a lucky escape on 39 minutes as Taylor under-hit a back pass and Simpson burst through in the box onto it but Turnbull arrived just in time to hoof it clear.

Another Albion attack just before the break was broken up as Huth first put in a thundering block tackle as Koren prepared to shoot then charged down the follow up up effort with his mid-riff.

In stoppage time Boro threatened as Downing picked up a ball wide on the left and twisted and turned and shrugged off two challenges to get a cross in but it was headed behind for a corner. Boro won two more flag-kicks with a spell of scrappy pressure but they were both scrambled away.

Half-time: West Brom 1 Boro 0

Boro had a luck escape two minutes after the restart as McMahon was muscled off the ball on the flank near the half-way line by Fortune who then played a defence splitting pass for Simpson to burst forward to the edge of the box and send a sizzling shot just wide of the far post.

The pattern of the first half was quickly re-emerging with West Brom's pace and movement up front cutting big holes in Boro's defence and two quick bursts by Simpson were untidily hustled away.

So there was an air of ineviotability as the Baggies scored a second on 53 minutes when a free-kick from wide on the right picked out Fortune in the box and he laid it back for Robert Koren to crack in a low 18 yard drive that took a slight deflection off the debutant striker and flew past the dive of Turnbull.

Boro put on Mido for O'Neil on 57 minutes in a bid to claw their way back.

Boro won a free-kick just outside the box and when Alves drilled it goalwards it was charged down amid a crowd.

And they should have pulled one back on the hour as Mido found space on the left of the box and chipped it for Alves at the far post but his downward header from eight yards out bounced just wide.

On 62 minutes Boro suffered another blow as Didier Digard was sent off.

Simpson got free in the box but Turnbull saved at his feet superbly and when the ball looped forward the French midfielder charged after it, pushing it past one Albion player then lunging into a meaty challenge on Valero that left the Baggies man rolling on the floor in pain and the ref in hot pursuit of Digard with the red card in his hand.

On 66 minutes the Baggies fans chanted "Youre getting sacked in the morning" to Gareth Southgate and a minute later their team twisted the knife as Brunt slotted a ball through the defence for Robert Koren to burst clear and and slot home the third and all but seal Albion's first ever Premier League double.

On 70 minutes Southgate put defender Matthew Bates on for McMahon, a change unlikely to salvage the game. Boro looked beaten, static and demoralised while Albion were playing with a smile.

Albion brought on Luke Moore for impressive Simpson on 77 minutes.

The Baggies went close again on 79 minutes as Beattie put in a good cross towards Fortune at the far post but Turnbull was alert to it and punched clear.

Boro won a free-kick 28 yards out on 82 minutes when Greening caught Mido but Alves effort sailed over.

With five minutes left Albion almost had another as a corner curled in from the right to beat Turnbull and clip Huth and looked destined for the net but Shawky was on hand to clear off the line at the far post.

And in the last minute Beattie got down the left and crossed a low ball into the box for Moore to come sliding in and stab high over from close range.

Then in stoppage time Moore skipped past Huth into the box from the right to drive a shot straight into the advancing Turnbull.